Button-sewing machine.



PATENTED APB. 26, 1904.

' N, L LYoNs.

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE.

APPLIUArIoNr'ILm No v.1e. 1903.

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4 FAAU ATTORNEY n: noms Psrewsm.. maremma, msnm PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

R. L. LYONS.

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED N0 V.16,1903.

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INVENTUR WITNESSES w .m B5 Attorney.

ms uonms frias w. PHoTaLlTno No. ffsza. j PATENTEDAmz, 1904.

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BUTTON SEWING ISIAGHINE.l

APPLIOATION Hmm Nov.1e,1eoa.

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No. 758,326. Y Patented April 2.6, 1904. UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ROBERT L. LYONS, OF WALTI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION VBUTTON SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, VOF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

BUTTON-SEWING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming peut of Lettere Patent No. 758,326, dated April 26,1904.v Application filed November 16, 1903. lSerial No. 181,318. (No model.)

T 107mm/ t may @0W/06W?" Y 1 ment. Fig. 2 represents a bottom plan view Be it known that I, ROBERT L. LYoNs, a citiof the machine, showing the usual means for Y zen of the United States, residing at Waltham, actuating the button clamp. Fig. 3 repre 5 0 in the county of Middlesex and State of Massente a plan View of portions of the machine sachusetts, have invented certain new and useto show the button-clamp in its relation to the ful Improvements in Button Sewing Maimproved cloth -plate Fig. 4e represents a chines; andI hereby declare that the following plan view of the cloth-plate in its preferred is a full, clear, and exact description of the form when removed from the machine. Fig. 5 5 same,reference being had to the accompanying 5 represents a partial sectional view taken on ro drawings, forming part of this specification. line 5, Fig. 3, of the button, the material, and This invention has reference to improvethe cloth-plate, showing the cloth as engaged ments in button-sewing machines, and relates by the rear edge of the opening in the clothparticularly to improvements in the means for plate and the button in the position to which 6o supporting the cloth orother material to which it is moved prior to the second downward A the button is to be sewed and to the means for movement of the needle, thus engaging or supporting the button independently of said nipping the first end portion of the thread becloth or material. tween the cloth and thebutton-back, the size The object of the invention is to so move' of the thread being exaggerated to more 6 5 the button with reference to the cloth or maclearly show the same between the button and terial to which the button is to be sewed that the cloth. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view a portion of the thread delivered by the rst on line 6 6, Fig. .7, of a modified form of the downward movementV of the needle will be cloth-plate to show a more positive means for nipped or held between the button and said engaging andlholding the cloth, the holding 70 cloth or material. means or spurs being exaggerated in size and 2 5 Another object of the invention Vis to so con- .in the sharpness of their ends, it being understruct a cloth-support for a sewing-machine stood that these spurs should not be suilithat the cloth may be sufficiently engaged cientl57 sharp or prominent to unduly retard thereby as to prevent the movement of the the movement of the cloth withthe button af- 75 cloth with the button (under the action of the ter the second downward movement of the neebutton clamp) until the second downward dle. Fig. 7 represents a plan View vof the movement of the needle. structure shown in section in Fig. 6, the po- The invention consists in means whereby sitions of the button-clamp feet being indithe button may be moved with relation to the cated in dotted lines. 8O cloth or material to which it is to be sewed. Similar characters of reference designate The invention also consists in a button-sew- Corresponding parts throughout.

ing machine comprising a button-clamp and a Button-sewing machines as heretofore concloth plate or support, the button-clamp bestrueted have been provided with buttoning movable during the sewing operation with clamps movably mounted and furnished with 85l relation to the clothiplate. a pair of arms between which the button has 40 The invention also consists in the construcbeen held. To the base-plate ot' the buttontion of the cloth-plate. Y clamp and movable therewith was secured a The invention also consists in such other cloth-plate extending beneath the button ponovel features of construction and c0mbina' sition and having an opening through which 90 tion of parts as shall hereinafter be more` fully the needle was adapted to work in the procdescribed, and pointed out in the claims. ess of sewing. `A piece of cloth being placed Figure 1 represents a front end elevation in position, the forward end of the buttonofasewing-machine illustrating this improveclamp 'was depressed to press the baclr of the button against the cloth, and after this adjustment the sewing operation was commenced. The means for moving the button-clamp have been so regulated that after the needle had made 'its first downward movement and had moved upward sufliciently to clear the button-the clamp was moved to position another hole of the button in the path of the needle, and it is evident that the cloth was moved coincidently with the button.

As the loose end of the thread at the needle is necessarily short at the breaking thereof after the completion of a group of stitches, various devices have been employed to engage this loose end of the thread below the work at or about the completion of the first downward movement of the needle. These devices must obviously be of an intricate nature and the driving means therefore must be regulated to act precisely at the time required.

In carrying this invention into practice it has been my main object to dispense with any mechanism for engaging the loose end of the needle-thread and to effect the holding or detaining of this end portion of the thread against the upward drag of the needle by engaging a portion of the thread between the button-back and the cloth -or material to which the button is being sewed.

s shown in the drawings, in its preferred form this improvement maybe included in a button-sewing machine of usual and wellknown construction, in which lO represents the bed-plate having the guide-lips 11 11 and supporting a shuttle mechanism of any approved construction andarrangement.A 12 represents the usual frame-arm, and 13 a portion of the machine-head, in which are movably mounted and actuated in any well -known manner the needle-bar 14, carrying the needle 15, and the button-clamp lifter and presser rod 16.

The button-clamp 17 has the usual downwardly-extending arms 18 18, adapted to engage and hold a button in position, this clamp 17..being pivotally connected at its forward end with the presser and lifter bar 16 and at its rear end with the slide or base 19, mounted for sliding movement and operated in the usual manner by means of a lever 20, Figs. 1 and 2, pivoted at the lower side ofthe bedplate 10 and periodically actuated by the usual cam 21 or by other approved means, attention being particularly drawn to the fact that no cloth-plate or other cloth-support extends forward from, the slide or base 19 and that the button-clamp is adapted solely for the support and movement of the button.

In the beveled lips 11 11 or in equivalent holding means is mounted the plate 22, on which is mounted the cloth-plate 23, having the needle-opening 24 furnished with the rear straight shoulder 25 and with the forward contracted portion 26, the edges of which are adapted to engage and sever a thread drawn into this portion. This cloth-plate is preferably independent of the usual throat-plate 27, Figs. v3 and 5, and preferably has a polished surface; but this depends somewhat on the thickness of the throat-plate, and it is evident that on some machines the plate 23 may be omitted and the opening 24 or other clothhilding means may be supplied to the throatp ate.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 A I have shown the plate 23 as provided with spurs 28 28, which are adapted to engage and hold the cloth. These spurs are,

however, herein purposely exaggerated in size the button-clamp that one of the holes of the button will be in the path of the needle in making its first downward stroke, the cloth D, Fig. 5, being positioned on the cloth-plate 23 either before or after the adjustment of the button. Under the pressure of the back of the button, pressed down in the usual manner by the presser-bar o f the button-clamp, a portion of the cloth will be pressed into the opening 24 and will be bent over the shoulder 25, as is shown in Fig. 5. Themachine being now started, the needle 15 will carry its thread E down through one of the holes in the button and through the cloth and then will make its upward movement. Vhen the point of the needle has moved upward to a predetermined point, the button-clamp is actuated in the usual manner to move the button backward, so that one of the holes c may be brought into the path of the needle, and as a resi-stance is offered to the movement of the cloth, while the button isfree to move independently thereof, the button moves over the cloth and carries the thread E with it, so that the portion of the thread between the hole and the path of the needle is nipped or engaged between the back of the button and the upper surface of the cloth. After the downward and upward movement of the needle through one of -the holes c of the button the button-clamp moves forward and carries with it the cloth, which has by this second passage of the sewingthread, actually the completion of the first stitch in a double-thread sewing-machine, become so secured to the button that any slight resistance to the movement of the cloth is overcome and the cloth and button move together thereafter in the usual manner, except that the cloth moves over the surface of the cloth-plate 23 instead of moving with the cloth- ICO IIO

ISO

plate, as has heretofore been customary where the cloth-plate was attached to or moved with the button-clamp.

Itis of course obvious that any means may be utilized for holding the cloth during the first movement of the button which will not materially retard the movement of the cloth with the button after the button has become partially secured to the cloth lwithout departing from the spirit of this invention, whether said cloth-holding means be xed, as the shoulder 25 of the plate 23, or is otherwise adapted to engage the cloth.

After the sewing operation is completed the cloth D is drawn forward to engage the shuttle-thread in the contracted portion of the opening 24 to sever said thread and to hold the severed end for the commencement of the next stitch.

The nipping of the thread between the button and the cloth in any manner is of course the prime object of this invention, and I do not desire to limit myself to any particular means for accomplishing this object.

The terms lateral and laterally used herein in relation to the movement of the material and of the button-clamp are intended to refer to paths of movement approximately parallel to the usual extension of the work-support or throat-plate and do not refer to the width or length of the material.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A button sewing machine comprising means for supporting material and holding the same from lateral movement, means for supporting and moving a button laterally independently of such material-holding means, and stitch forming means including a needle whereby the button may be lattached to the material and the resistance ofthe materialholding means may be overcome by such attachment.

2. In a button-sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming means including a needle, ot' means for changing the relative position of the button and the material, to which -it is to be sewed, after the rst downward movement ot' the needle to engage a portion of the needle-thread between the button and the material, and means for resisting the lateral movement of the material during such change of position, such resistance being adapted to be ultimately overcome by the attachment of the material to the button.

3. A button sewing machine comprising stitch-forming mechanism including a needle, means for supporting and vibrating a button transversely of said needle, a support for the cloth having means for engaging and holding said cloth against lateral movement during the first vibration of said needle, whereby a portion of the needle-thread is engaged between the button and the cloth.

4. A buttonsewing machine comprising stitch-forming means including a needle, a fixed cloth-supporting plate having cloth-engaging means adjacent to the path of the needie and adapted to resist the lateral movement oi' the cloth, and a button-clamp independently movable and adapted to vibrate a button laterally of saidV engaging means, and adapted to press a button carried by said clamp against cloth on said plate to effect the engagement of the cloth with such engaging means.

5. A button-sewing machine comprising a xed cloth-plate having an opening one edge of which is adapted to engage cloth pressed thereagainst to resist the movement of the cloth in one lateral direction, and means for pressing a button against the cloth positioned above said opening, to eect the engagement of the cloth with such edge, and, for moving the button laterally.

6. The combination with the button-sewing machine having a throat-plate furnished with a needle-hole, and a cloth-plate positioned above the throat-plate and fixed against movement, said cloth-plate having an opening registering with the needle-hole of the throat-plate and having a rear cloth-engaging edge, of a button-clamp mounted to move laterally above said`eloth-plate and adapted to press a button against cloth supported on said plate, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT L. LYONS.

W'itnesses:

S. GOOSTRAY, -I-I. MILLER. 

